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Fertility, mating behaviour and sexual selection inDrosophila Subobscura

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Summary

The eggs laid by outbred females have been collected from the time of mating until the death of the females, and the proportion of eggs hatching recorded. Initially oyer 99 % of the eggs hatch after mating to outbred males; after about 30 days the quantity of sperm in the ventral receptacle is inadequate to ensure fertilization, and few or no eggs hatch. After mating to inbred males, the initial hatch varied from 43 to 84%, and a sharp decline in the proportion hatching occurred after about 10 days. Thus inbred males are inferior both in the quality and quantity of sperm produced.

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Smith, J.M. Fertility, mating behaviour and sexual selection inDrosophila Subobscura . J Genet 54, 261–279 (1956). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02982781

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